Video palliative care improves symptoms but not outcomes in rural hospitals, study reveals

Video palliative care improves symptoms but not outcomes in rural hospitals, study reveals 
McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 7/15/25 
Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham recently studied whether video consultations could improve palliative care for patients age 55 and older in small hospitals lacking specialized end-of-life services. Participants had an average age of 73. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that culturally tailored video consultations — designed with community input to reflect patients’ cultural values and communication preferences — led to a clinically meaningful but not statistically significant reduction in symptom distress. ... [The] video consultations had little effect on hospital readmissions or emergency department visits. The research addressed a critical healthcare gap, as the study notes that only 70% of the Deep South has access to palliative care services, compared to 85-94% in other US regions. This disparity particularly affects rural communities where specialized end-of-life care is often unavailable.